Compared to being summoned and prosecuted, the two young girls naturally preferred writing self-criticisms. As expected, their own biggest fan blacklisted them, and they were ultimately expelled from the fan club.
Once everything had been settled, Qiuyun checked the time. It was only half past two in the afternoon.
“It’s still early. How about you give me an address, President Pei? I can go there myself when the time comes.”
Pei Cizhou had someone drive them to Chengyuan. “Early? Don’t you need time to change and get your hair and makeup done?”
?
When the car arrived at Chengyuan, Steward Ruan saw that the little ancestor had come again and felt a splitting headache.
“Oh, my little ancestor, we really don’t know what to do with you anymore! Chengyuan truly doesn’t dare accept those things of yours!”
Last time, she had even brought over the jade pendant the old madam had given her for her first birthday. He had been so frightened that he had nearly dropped it!
“I’m not here to sell you anything.” Pei Cizhou shut the car door. “My brother is taking me to a dinner party tonight. I came to find a couple of outfits to wear.”
So that was it.
Steward Ruan let out a huge sigh of relief. “Clothes are no problem. Chengyuan has always had things made for you.”
Pei Cizhou turned around. “There’s one more person.”
Qiuyun got out of the car and stood beside Pei Cizhou, smiling shyly and warmly. “Hello. We meet again.”
“Assistant Qiu?!” Steward Ruan exclaimed in surprise.
When had these two gotten to know each other?
And even developed such a close personal relationship?
Qiuyun explained, “I was commissioned by Young Master Pei to accompany him to the dinner party tonight.”
“Oh, oh, all right.” Steward Ruan hurriedly stepped aside. “This way, please.”
They passed through pavilions and towers, rockeries, and lakes. Since they were receiving members of the family, they did not go to the side hall this time, but headed straight inside to a small courtyard.
The courtyard bordered a lake. As they walked along the covered corridor, there was a view of the water on one side and the garden landscape on the other. Flowing water and lush greenery, lake blue and verdant green—the design was exceptionally refined.
Pei Cizhou did not have particularly high demands. Among the clothes that had already been made for him, he chose a new-style Chinese suit.
Qiuyun, however, was the main issue. The tailors at the estate did not have her measurements, so they would have to take them and make alterations on the spot.
The stylist had several clothing racks wheeled over. “Hello, Young Master Cizhou. I’m the family’s stylist. My surname is Xie. Did Second Young Master mention what kind of dinner this is? Is there a theme?”
“A charity dinner on a cruise ship.” Pei Cizhou began selecting clothes, then turned to Qiuyun. “Do you have a preferred color? I can have them sort everything into categories before you choose.”
As an embroiderer, Qiuyun had never had the time to examine the craftsmanship of this era’s clothing. Now that she had happened upon the opportunity, she naturally wanted to look over every piece.
“No need. I’ll look myself.”
She had to admit that the embroiderers at Chengyuan were highly skilled. Their techniques were even more advanced than those of her own time, their handling of details more refined, and their designs more suited to modern clothing.
Stylist Xie selected several looks suitable for a cruise. “If you’re planning to go out onto the deck, I recommend an updo. It will keep your hair from affecting your makeup.”
“All right.” Qiuyun herself preferred wearing her hair up when attending formal occasions. It made her look more spirited.
After looking through more than forty outfits, Qiuyun was still reluctant to stop. There were so many novel evening-gown designs—they had practically refreshed her entire knowledge base!
Stylist Xie asked cautiously, “Is there nothing you like?”
Qiuyun shook her head. “I’m not very good at putting together outfits of this kind. I’ll leave the decision to you.”
A genuine smile spread across Stylist Xie’s face. “I see. Do you have any particular style requirements? Fresh and clean? Sweet? Elegant? Or sexy?”
“Understated,” Qiuyun said seriously.
?
Stylist Xie blinked. “What? I didn’t hear you clearly. Could you say that again?”
“Understated,” Qiuyun repeated. “Nothing too eye-catching. Other than that, I’ll leave it to your judgment.”
Stylist Xie fell silent.
To be honest, in all her years in the profession, she had never once received a request like that for an evening gown.
“…All right.”
Since the look had to be understated, bright colors such as red, purple, green, and blue were obviously unsuitable and were eliminated first. That left black, white, and gray as the best choices.
Stylist Xie searched through the racks and found a black, high-necked, long-sleeved mermaid gown that hugged the hips. With almost no skin exposed, it was the very definition of low-key.
“Will this one do?”
Qiuyun examined it. It really was incredibly understated. Compared with the sweeping skirts, sequins, and embroidery surrounding it, the dress was indeed exceptionally simple.
“This one, then.”
Stylist Xie had someone lead her over to the vanity. “Then please sit here and have your makeup and hair done while we alter the dress.”
“All right.”
The stylists at Chengyuan were naturally more seasoned and professional than the styling team Jiang’s family had hired from outside.
The auntie taking Qiuyun’s measurements brought along an apprentice—and that apprentice called her “Mom.”
It felt rather like an embroidery studio maintained within an aristocratic household, specially kept to make clothes for the madam and the duke, with generations of the family serving the ducal household.
Before long, Pei Cizhou had changed clothes and fixed his hair. When he came over, Qiuyun was still having her makeup done.
“She chose that one?”
Stylist Xie showed him a photograph. “This one.”
He glanced at the style of the dress, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then turned and left.
“What’s wrong with him?” Qiuyun asked.
Stylist Xie shook her head. “I have no idea.”
Half an hour later, Qiuyun’s hair and makeup were finished, and the dress had been altered as well.
Fortunately, the sample dress had been made with generous proportions. Otherwise, given Miss Qiu’s height of 176 centimeters—and the addition of high heels—the gown might not have fallen perfectly around her feet, where it needed to brush the floor in a beautiful, rippling arc.
“Let’s have you try it on so we can see how it looks. We’ll make any necessary alterations right away.”
“All right.”
Ten minutes later, Qiuyun emerged wearing the dress and shoes. At Stylist Xie’s direction, she walked, raised her arms, sat down, and leaned back, allowing them to check the areas where the fabric pulled or felt tight. They also inspected the lining, interlining, and details around the neckline before she changed out of it for the final alterations.
Just then, Pei Cizhou appeared again. Behind him followed Steward Ruan, looking utterly devoid of hope, his arms full of several golden silk nanmu boxes.
Qiuyun, who had nothing to do with the alterations, was sitting on the sofa and following the battle between her younger brother’s fanbase and its rival fandom. The events of the afternoon had left the two young girls feeling guilty after meeting the real person at noon, misunderstanding their idol and his sister, and causing trouble for her. Their fighting power was now comparable to that of a full-grown lioness!
After several rounds of surprise attacks, comment control, mobilization, and flooding the rival’s pages, they had finally trampled the people who had spread rumors and slandered their side into the dirt.
They had rubbed them into the ground!
Qiuyun could not help marveling. Their execution was no less impressive than the schemes of inner-house intrigue she had once dealt with!
There were data teams, publicity teams, anti-black teams, promotion teams, voting teams, logistics teams, frontline teams, and so on…
Their duties were clearly defined, and they struck wherever they were directed. With money and manpower at their disposal, they were practically a powerful think tank.
Incredible.
“Miss Qiu, what are you looking at so intently?” Pei Cizhou bent down. From that angle, he could see only her smooth forehead and curled eyelashes.
Qiuyun put away her phone and looked up. “Nothing. I was just checking whether the apology letters from those two girls this afternoon had been pinned yet.”
The instant she raised her eyes, Pei Cizhou felt the surroundings dim. Every bit of light in his field of vision seemed to converge on her breathtakingly clear and beautiful face.
Only then did he realize it.
Miss Qiu was almost excessively beautiful.
The phrase “making a humble dwelling shine” had become vividly, utterly literal at that moment.
“Those young girls?” Pei Cizhou’s gaze lingered over her exquisite, alluring features, and his voice turned slightly husky. “Miss Qiu really does love pretending to be mature. When they registered, one was twenty and the other twenty-one. Aren’t they both older than you?”
